Nimo finally gets her initial consulation.

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#16 Post by **nimo** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:31 am

No kidding. I've been wanting this for so long I almost don't know what to do with myself. I have two crossbites on either side of my front teeth, and I cannot possibly imagine what it will be like with my teeth on the side they're supposed to be on. I think about weird things like that a lot.

#17 Post by **nimo** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:49 am

I'm two weeks out from my next appointment, and I'd just like to say I am not going to make it. I haven't been this anxious for something to happen since Xmas when I was a little kid. It's awful!

#18 Post by **nimo** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 2:03 pm

So I went in today to find out my treatment plan, and the ortho was like, "Hi, we're gonna break your face!!!!"
Not really. But that would have been about as reassuring.
My upper arch is more narrow than my lower arch, and I'm the crossbite girl of doom!!! So they're going to bring my upper arch forward, and widen it a little (surgery), and I'm totally not looking forward to any part of it. He also said they're going to take out my wisdom teeth (which is no surprise) and my two front molars (WHAT??!!??). I have an impacted canine, and a lateral behind my other canine, so they need to pull extra teeth to make room for them.
So sad. But all right.
I was supposed to get wired up a week from today, but they had to change my appointment to 11 days from today. I was not happy about that. But they put spacers in today, which kind of balanced everything out. I've been waiting for almost two months, and I'm so happy to finally have SOMETHING happen, that I don't really mind the spacers. They hurt miserably when she was putting them in, and I was seriously afraid it was going to hurt that badly all day. But once they were in my teeth felt tight, but not too sore. I took a couple preventative aspirin when I got home, and now I'm eating baked beans (my teeth don't touch anymore when I bite down, but baked beans are nice and squishy).
So YAY for something finally happening. Besides just waiting.

#19 Post by **jennandtonic** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 2:30 pm

Wow nimo, I enjoyed reading this thread because I can definitely sympathize. The waiting part is hard, I had to wait several months as well because of extractions, molds, x-rays, consultations, et cetera. I made the original consultation appointment in October, and finally got my braces February 2nd!

By the time I got my braces I was almost sick of them already, hahaha.

Good luck with those spacers! In my opinion they were worse than getting the braces. The only problem with the braces is the not chewing part, the spacers bothered my gums.

So begins the countdown for your braces!

#20 Post by **nimo** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:49 pm

I'm definitely at the point where this isn't exciting so much as nervewracking. I'm staring at a bowl full of potstickers (boiled, so they're squishy and won't be hard to chew), and I'm wondering if I'm actually going to be able to eat them. And then I'm realizing that this is my life for the next two years (27 months, to be exact), and I should probably get over it.
I haven't told my parents yet. Since my dad hasn't gone to the dentist since I was in elementary school (15 years or so), and my mom has never gone, I'm pretty sure they're not going to understand why I'm doing this. I could tell them the military wants me to, but that's not true. It was recommended, but it's not mandatory. The husband and I are planning on taking a trip to see our families this summer. I'm not sure how my parents will react to this, or if they'll react at all.

#21 Post by **nimo** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:32 am

You might have had potstickers before, just under a different name (guotie, gyoza, dumpling, etc.). They're an Asian food, sort of like a miniature egg roll, meat and veggies wrapped in a wonton skin. They can be fried, steamed or boiled.

How's that, my first picture I post on this site isn't my teeth, but Chinese food.

Steamed or boiled they're good right now because they don't have any crunchy bits, and they're easy to bite into and chew. I encourage finding a recipe and making them if there aren't any Chinese restaurants in your area that have them.

I think my mom would actually be somewhat interested in the surgical aspect of it. She's been a paramedic since I was a toddler, and has also taught a lot of medical classes. When she had surgery a couple years ago, she asked the doctor to take pictures.

I've actually thought about asking the doctors here to do the same for me, but then again I think seeing her own daughter being operated on isn't something my mom would be too happy about.

Overall, my first day with spacers wasn't horrible. I've been moody all day (poor husband), and wound up practically exhausted by the time we went to bed (which could have been pain, or anxiety, or the allergy medicine that claimed to be non-drowsy on the box). Now I'm back to my normal, insomniac self (it's 4:30AM, I've been wide-awake since about 3AM). The left top side hurts, so I took some painkillers. Hopefully it'll settle down in the next couple days.

#22 Post by **jennandtonic** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 3:38 pm

It will, nimo, it won't be too bad. By the time you have to get them taken out you probably won't notice them much. Remember you are doing this for yourself, not for your parents! Believe me, once you focus on how your teeth are GOING to look, other people's opinions fade a little bit. Good luck!

#23 Post by **nimo** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:48 am

I just have to say that at this point in time, I feel like I got hit in the face with a baseball bat.
My left jaw on the bottom hurts miserably. I took two aspirin. I hope it starts kicking in someday. I did good yesterday, didn't take as much medicine as the day before. They hurt, but not like this.
So if anyone can tell me that spacers are the worst part of this whole thing, I'd appreciate it. I'm wishing they had pulled my teeth a long time ago, because as it is, the spaces between my molars are too tight for flossing, and the pieces of rubber in those spaces are k-i-l-l-i-n-g me.

Ooooooh, I think the aspirin is starting to work. *crosses fingers*

#24 Post by **dena** » Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:48 pm

i love potstickers...great braces food. your posts are always fun and interesting -- thanks!

#25 Post by **nimo** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:15 am

Stroganoff is also good food, apparently. I can chew fine on my right side, as long as it's relatively soft. My husband over-cooked the noodles, and made sure the hamburger was really broken up, and voila...real food for dinner two nights in a row.
Potato chips, not so much. I had to laugh at myself, crunching them up into little pieces, sucking on them, washing them down with Mountain Dew. I gave up after about five or six of them.
Woke up this morning without wanting to to pull out my spacers. The left side is still giving me problems, but not nearly as bad as yesterday morning (which is great, because I have to go to the gym this morning). I had some yogurt, and an ibuprofen. The more I talk, the more my mouth hurts (same with smiling). But as long as I'm still it all seems to be okay.

#26 Post by **Joanna20** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:26 am

Hi there! It sounds like you're in the right track for a lovely smile. My initial consultation is on Tuesday and I can't wait. I already have an x-ray taken so I am hopping they do the molds right away! I cannot wait to have them on... I already have a list of questions to ask to the orthod.
Good luck with ur treatment. Wish u the best.
Joe

#27 Post by **nimo** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:02 pm

It's kind of funny how every orthodontist does things differently. I feel like mine is just making one appointment for every teeny tiny thing, rather than getting it all done at once, which is what I would like.

But it's free, so I'm sure plenty of people are taking advantage of the opportunity while they're here (not ever military installation has orthodontics), and they specialize in jaw surgery so they're either weeding out the people who don't need surgery, or they're going over their records to decide the best treatment plan. There's only one orthodontist per gazillion military here (I'm pretty sure that all the branches come to his office for treatment), so they're alllllllways busy. But they're also alllllllways really nice, and have been really accomodating with making my appointments early in the morning so I don't have to miss work.

#28 Post by **nimo** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:16 pm

Before and after. Images may not be suitable for small children, old people with heart problems, or anyone in general.

And the first day with them.

Sorry the pictures are so HUGE. I swear I cropped them.

#29 Post by **bracesmom** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:44 pm

That's great nimo, thanks for modling the pink for us

. That is the color I'd like to go with next!

Take care!

#30 Post by **nimo** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:14 pm

Yeah, I knew that I wanted pink because it's subtle, but I wanted red on the bottom, since red's my favorite color and I wanted to see how it would look. Unfortunately, the red didn't want to stay on my brackets, so they used a different shade, which is more hot pink than red, as you can see.